District 81 Superintendent

To engage constituents and provide open and transparent communication.

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5Essentials Survey and Parent Involvement

February 4, 2015

I had the opportunity to share an update on our District goals at last week’s Board of Education meeting. Providing this update helps us all stay on track and communicate with one another on what is important to us. A goal that is important to our entire learning community is parent involvement. I hope that writing this blog post will help encourage parents to redefine what parent involvement can look like for them.

I am a working parent of three children, and identify with the parents who may not be able to volunteer in classrooms and attend special events and meetings as much as they would like. The volunteers who are very involved in our schools are extremely important and valuable, and I am so grateful for their presence and the time they dedicate to support our children and staff. A perfect example of this type of involvement and what a small group of committed individuals can achieve is the ABC Parent Group, who just celebrated their one-year anniversary!

There is another type of parental involvement that is also important to the success of your child. Every time you help your child with his or her homework, or make sure there is a quiet time provided for homework, that is parent involvement. When you ask your children about their school day, support them in their learning, and communicate with their teachers, you are an involved parent. We love when you attend the musicals, sporting events, Dr. Seuss night, and come to special meetings, but your involvement doesn’t have to begin and end only when you are visiting. You can actually be an involved parent each and every day.

One opportunity to get involved as a parent would be to complete the 5Essentials survey that SD81 and other districts across our state will take. Completing the survey will give us important information about how you feel about your child’s education. It is a way for you to communicate with us, and we value your thoughts. The survey will take about five minutes to complete.

Below is the link to the letter posted about the 5Essentials survey posted on the District 81 homepage. The Board of Education, administration, faculty and staff thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. As I mention in the letter to you about the 5Essentials survey, our partnership has a tremendous impact on the success of your student!